NSW's national parks are breaking records, with one clear crowd favourite emerging

Plus, three other things Explore is loving this week.

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Picture by DNSW

April 25, 2026

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MORE than 65 million. That's the number - the highest ever - of visits recorded across national parks in NSW in the last financial year, according to the state government. The five most popular national parks in NSW during this period were: the Blue Mountains National Park with 7.8 million visits, Royal National Park (4.9 million visits), Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park (4.3 million visits), Lane Cove National Park (2.4 million visits) and Kosciuszko National Park (2.4 million visits). "Our national parks are where families make memories, kids get outside and communities welcome visitors," said the NSW Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Penny Sharpe. destinationnsw.com.au

Australians set cruise record

About 1.45 million Australians signed up for a cruise in 2025, beating all past records, according to the latest figures from Cruise Lines International Association. The figure is a 9.5 per cent increase on the 2024 number, when 1.32 million people from Down Under went on a holiday at sea, and supersedes the pre-COVID-19 record set in 2018, when 1.35 million people went on a cruise. While most people still prefer to sail in the Pacific, there has been a 20 per cent increase in Aussies cruising around the world, the report states.

Fiji time on the rise

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More than 70,000 people travelled to Fiji in March, according to a new report by Tourism Fiji. Of that, 31,000 were Australians, up by 17 per cent when compared to number of people from Australia who visited Fiji in March last year. Planning your own trip as mercury starts to dip? Adults-only Tropica Island Resort on Mololo Island has zhuzhed up its bures; Yasawa Island Resort & Spa has added new rooms; and Mai Sunset Resort on Naviti Island will soon be launching budget-friendly Beach Tents. tropicaisland.com; yasawa.com; maisunset.com

Home hotels crack global list

Four Australian properties were featured in the 100 Best New Hotels of the Year in Travel+Leisure's annual It List. Known for chic design, 1 Hotel is the winner from Melbourne, while former cinema turned 25hours Hotel The Olympia is the pick from Sydney. Queensland has ended up with the lion's share, with two properties on the list: Mondrian Gold Coast in Burleigh Heads and the Sundays in the Whitsundays. 1hotels.com ; 25hours-hotels.com ; mondrianhotels.com ; hamiltonisland.com.au

Words byAkash Arora

Akash is the Deputy Travel Editor for Australian Community Media. He has lived and worked in four cities around the world – Sydney, London, New Delhi and New York – and, at last count, travelled to 42 countries.

My all-time favourite destination is ... New York. You can drop a pin anywhere in Manhattan and start walking in any direction, and the sights and sounds of the city that never stops will begin to stimulate all your senses in an instant.

Next on my bucket list is … Scandinavia - at the peak of summer, when the sun almost never sets.

My top travel tip is … If you’re flying to Sydney from anywhere in the world, pick a window seat far from the wing on the left-hand-side of the aeroplane. If the weather gods and flight path align, you’ll have the most incredible views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House.